Peter Jackson's The Return of the King Script/The Palantír
CUT TO: EXT. EDORAS, GOLDEN HALL - EARLY DAWN ARAGORN joins LEGOLAS on the STEPS to the GOLDEN HALL, oblivious to the CHILL WIND . . . they look out across the SLEEPING CITY to the LOOMING MOUNTAIN RANGE BEYOND . .-. DARK CLOUDS mark the sky. LEGOLAS The stars are veiled, something stirs in the east . . . A sleepless malice. LEGOLAS looks at ARAGORN . . . realisation in his face. LEGOLAS (cont'd) The eye of the enemy is moving. INT. EDORAS, SLEEPING QUARTERS - EARLY DAWN, CLOSE ON: PIPPIN . . . he is AWAKE! He sits up . . . ANXIOUS, FIDGETY . . . Suddenly he hops out of bed and creeps towards the SLEEPING FORM of GANDALF. MERRY (whispers) What you doing? (CONTINUED) Final Revision - October, 2003 16, CONTINUED: PIPPIN gasps with FRIGHT! MERRY is sitting up, wiping sleep from his eyes. He moves on . . . ANGLE ON: A sleeping GANDALF lies with eyes wide open! But PIPPIN is undeterred . . . MERRY sits up, a worried look on his face. MERRY (cont'd) Pippin? Pippin? Pippin! What are you doing? With quick stealth, PIPPIN lifts the WRAPPED PALANTIR from GANDALF'S grasp ... MERRY (cont'd) Pippin, are you mad? PIPPIN I just want to look at it. Just one more time. MERRY Put it back! Put - it - back! PIPPIN unwraps the PALANTIR and as MERRY looks on HORRIFIED, he gazes INTENTLY into it. MERRY (cont'd) Pippin! As PIPPIN lays his hands on the CRYSTAL, a SICKLY PALE light slowly spreads from the GLASS BALL onto PIPPIN'S FACE ... his EYES WIDEN. MERRY (cont'd) Pippin! EXT. EDORAS GOLDEN HALL - EARLY DAWN On the STEPS of the GOLDEN HALL, LEGOLAS turns to ARAGORN (CONTINUED) Final Revision - October, 2003 17. CONTINUED: LEGOLAS (urgent) He is here. INT. EDORAS, SLEEPING QUARTERS - NIGHT PIPPIN suddenly starts to HYPERVENTILATE . . . He STAGGERS BACKWARDS, PALANTIR held rigidly before him . . . THE GREAT EYE OF SAURON seems to LEAP from the FIRE . . . PIPPIN is bathed in the FIERY RED LIGHT. PIPPIN sinks to his KNEES, his mouth open in a soundless SCREAM . . . He FALLS BACKWARDS, powerless to release the FIERY GLOBE. MERRY Help! Someone help him! GANDALF wakes with a start! Just as ARAGORN enters, and wrenches the PALANTIR from PIPPIN'S HANDS . . . PIPPIN FALLS to the FLOOR! . . . ARAGORN spins away, reeling backwards, the PALANTIR falling from his HANDS . . . The PALANTIR rolls across the FLOOR, causing EVERYONE in the room to COWER BACK. ; ANGLE ON: GANDALF throws a BLANKET over it, ANGRY DISBELIEF on his face! He rounds on PIPPIN. , GANDALF Fool of a Took! GANDALF lifts the HOBBIT'S SLUMPED HEAD. MERRY Pippin! PIPPIN is trembling ... GANDALF calms him . . . PIPPIN Gandalf! Forgive me. GANDALF . Look at me! What did you see? (CONTINUED) Final Revision - October, 2003 18. CONTINUED: PIPPIN (disjointed) A tree ... There was a white tree . . . in a courtyard of stone . . . It was dead! FLASH INSERT: A lone white tree silhouetted by flames. PIPPIN (cont'd) The city was burning ... GANDALF Minas Tirith??? (to PIPPIN) Is that what you saw? PIPPIN (terrified) I saw . . . I saw him . . . I could hear his voice in my head. GANDALF And what did you tell him? Speak! PIPPIN He asked me my name, I didn't answer . . . he hurt me . . . CLOSE ON: GANDALF stares at PIPPIN with a FRIGHTENING INTENSITY . . . GANDALF What did you tell him about Frodo and the Ring? INT. EDORAS, GOLDEN HALL - DAY THEODEN stands in the GOLDEN HALL, gravely listening to GANDALF ... ARAGORN, LEGOLAS, and GIMLI look on . . . GANDALF There was no lie in Pippin's eyes; a fool, but an honest fool he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring. ANGLE ON: GIMLI lets out a sigh of relief. (CONTINUED) Final Revision - October, 2003 19. CONTINUED: GANDALF turns to look at THEODEN. GANDALF (cont'd) We've been strangely fortunate. What Pippin saw in the Palantir was a glimpse of our enemy's plan. GANDALF looks from on to the other of the, gathered company. GANDALF (cont'd) Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing. The WIZARD turns towards ARAGORN . . . GANDALF (cont'd) The heir of Elendil has come forth. Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still - strength enough left to challenge him. THEODEN listens intently, saying nothing. GANDALF (cont'd) (wa rningly) Sauro n fea rs this. He will no t risk t he p e o p l es of M i d d l e -e a r t h u n i t i ng u n d e r one b a n n e r. He w i l l r ai s e M i n a s T ir i t h t o the groun d bef ore he sees the ret urn of t he King. CLOSE ON: ARAGORN . . . he knows GANDALF SPEAKS THE TRUTH. ANGLE ON: GANDALF rounds on THEODEN . . . GANDALF (cont'd) If the beacons of Condor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war! THEODEN holds GANDALF'S gaze. (CONTINUED) Final Revision - October, 2003 20 CONTINUED: (2) THEODEN (quietly) Tell me. Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? ANGLE ON: ARAGORN turns to look at THEODEN. THEODEN (cont'd) What do we owe Gondor? ARAGORN (low and urgent) I will go. GANDALF (hurried) No! ARAGORN They must be warned. GANDALF They will be. (low voice, to Aragorn) You must come to Minas Tirith by another ra ... od (cryptic) Follow the river, look to the black ships. (louder, to all) Understand this . . . things are now in motion that cannot be undone. GANDALF turns on his heel . . . and stares at a surpirsed PIPPIN. GANDALF (cont'd) I ride for Minas Tirith! And I won't be going alone ! EXT. EDORAS STREETS - DAWN ANGLE ON: GANDALF hurries along the STREETS . . . PIPPIN and MERRY run alongside trying to KEEP UP . . . (CONTINUED) Final Revision - October, 2003 21. CONTINUED: · GANDALF Of all the inquisitive Hobbits, Peregrin, Took, you are the worst. Hurry, hurry! PIPPIN catches up to MERRY. PIPPIN (worried) Where are we going? MERRY Why did you look - why do you always have to look? PIPPIN . (subdued) I don't know . . . I can't help it. MERRY turns away ... MERRY You never can. PIPPIN (lightly) . . . . ,.; · I'm sorry, alright? I won't do it again. This is too much for MERRY. He turns on PIPPIN. MERRY Don't you understand ... the Enemy thinks you have the Ring . . . he's going to be looking for you, Pip. They have to get you out of here! PIPPIN And you. You're coming with me . . . Merry? MERRY Come on! PUSH IN: PIPPIN'S face as MERRY strides away. ' ,., CUT TO: Final Revision - October, 2003 22 INT. EDORAS STABLES - DAWN ANGLE ON: PIPPIN is dumped unceremoniously onto the back of SHADOWFAX as GANDALF hurriedly prepares to leave . . . PIPPIN (nervous) How far is Minas Tirith? GANDALF Three days ride as the Nazgul flies and you'd better hope we don't have one of those on our tail. MERRY thrusts a SMALL PACKAGE into PIPPIN'S HAND . . . MERRY Here - something for the road. PIPPIN stares down at the leather-bound bundle of PIPE-WEED. PIPPIN The last of the Longbottom Leaf. MERRY I know you've run out . . . you smoke too much, Pip. PIPPIN But we'11 see each other soon? A WORRIED MERRY exchanges glances with GANDALF. PIPPIN (cont'd) Won't we? MERRY I don't know . . . I don't know what's going to happen. GANDALF mounts SHADOWFAX. PIPPIN (rising panic) Merry? (CONTINUED) Final Revision - October, 2003 23. CONTINUED: GANDALF spurs the GREAT HORSE forward. GANDALF Run Shadowfax, show us the meaning of haste. PIPPIN (panicked) Merry! SHADOWFAX thunders out of the STABLES! CLOSE ON: MERRY'S devastated face. EXT. GATES OF EDORAS - DAY ANGLE ON: SHADOWFAX carried GANDALF and PIPPIN out of the GATE and down the WINDING ROAD towards the PLAINS QF ROHAN. EXT. EDORAS GATES LOOK-OUT - DAY ANGLE ON: MERRY clambers up a WATCHTOWER, ARAGORN in pursuit. ANGLE ON::The SMALL FIGURE as he watches his best friend DISAPPEAR into the DISTANCE . . . CLOSE ON: ARAGORN . . . he knows what it is to lose someone.